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She looks so peaceful, with her little pouty lips and rosy cheeks. Her little chubbs keep her so warm and cozy. She's like a Cabbage Patch doll who worked a double shift giving hugs yesterday. She earned this sleep.

And here I come, the morning's henchmen.

I try to be gentle. So before I wake her, I turn on cartoons — loudly. But that's like printing a tax bill on pink paper.

I've even tried waking her five minutes early and letting her sleep in my arms — the daddy snooze button, if you will. But her hugs are like little sleeping pills to me, so we both end up late.

Now I simply wake her and hold on for the ride.

It's like starting your day with a 6-CD changer shuffling through the songs you hate the most — and you can't find the remote to make it stop. It's like Celine, Michael Bolton and Meatloaf teaming up for a holiday version of "Teach Me How To Dougie."

It's so sad to wake my baby.

"No, daddy, no," she says, which I imagine will one day be the title of her first collection of sad folk songs about a cruel father who cackled as he wrecked night-night time.

They don't give out Daddy of the Year awards for memories like these.

Monday through Friday, the struggle is real.

What about the weekends?

That's my day to sleep in and, most importantly, to let her sleep in.

And, of course, those are the days I'm woke by tiny hands tapping me at 6 in the morning.

"Daddy, daddy, wake up" she says. "I love my new bed."

Mike Hazelwood's column appears every other weekend. Follow him @MikeyHazelwood on Twitter or email miggitymza@yahoo.com.